But the breakthrough came on 77 minutes when Demichelis thumped home his rebounded shot from a corner.

Demichelis rose highest to head Messi's cross goalwards, which bounced straight back at him off fellow teammate Diego Milito - and the defender gobbled up his second bite of the cherry.

The goal put Argentina at ease having been the best side of the match, with Messi denied by a timely Nikos Spyropoulos block.

Moments later, Messi weaved his magic after receiving Angel Di Maria's backheel, motoring past one defender and breezing past the next, before firing his shot against the upright.

Argentina was finally rewarded for their attacking ambition when Palermo's goal settled affairs.

Messi again found space to force a Tsorvas save, but he parried the ball straight at substitute Palermo who sidefooted home.

Greece, outclassed for much of the match, resorted to obligatory potshots from distance which Sergio Ramero collected with ease.

Kept at bay

Earlier, Tzorvas had kept the first-half goalles with a string of crucial saves to deny Argentina.

Sergio Aguero shook off the attentions of three defenders before angling a shot on goal but was denied by Tzorvas, before Juan Sebastian Veron belted a dipping shot from distance, forcing another sharp save.

While Greece conceded the majority of possession to Argentina, it used long diagonal balls to Georgios Samaras to great affect, with the target man nearly getting past Demichelis on 33 minutes.

The livewire Messi, contained by Greece for much of the half, got on the end of a Clemente Rodriguez cross to force another outstanding save from Tzorvas.